Recent Questions by Dr. Emily

my ferret was stepped on a few hours ago. he’s been walking fine, eating, drinking, alert, going to the bathroom, but he’s still breathing really heavy & his heart is beating pretty fast. just want to know he’s okay.
JA: I know breathing problems can be worrying. Let's get you talking to the Vet. What's the ferret's name and age?
Customer: his name is Goose & he’s about 4 months old
JA: Is there anything else the Vet should know about Goose?
Customer: i don’t think so. other than that he’s healthy.

I have a six month old hen, Spottsy, I separated from our backyard flock as soon as she was discovered ill one morning and unable to stand. Since we brought her indoors to isolate it's been 6 days and Spottsy still has trembling legs/ataxia and cannot stand. She lays with legs extended to her side. When I support her weight she reflexively jumps as soon as her feet touch the ground. She had no marked improvement from deworming w Safeguard and vitamin supplement w Nutridrench. Her thirst/appetite is decreased but she moves her neck freely and pecks at food and water I set within reach.When prompted to "excercise" via jumping she has trouble breathing/gaping beak with a silent inhale audible exhale (no rattle, not raspy). She has yellowish diarrhea that has become more watery each day. She doesn’t appear to be in obvious pain. No skin findings, no swelling, no abnormal eye signs, no nasal discharge.The greenhouse shed that Spottsy and her flock occupied had evidence of rat droppings near their food and water. Since discovering Spottsy ill we immediately relocated the other five hens to a new coop with a concrete floor (with straw we change out) and elevated food/water to reduce exposure to Spottsy’s illness/dander in their original shed, and to keep away vermin which may be a culprit as well.I'm in a an area that's a Covid hotspot (TN) and prefer not to drive Spottsy a county-away for a poultry vet exam. She fits the description for Mareks; if she had a transient form of MD ataxia would it possibly reverse after a week? I'm weighing the ethics of putting her down...thanks for your time.

Baby goat born yesterday found him laying flat. Started bottle feeding him last night. Today he can't get up without a struggle and hasn't taken a step
JA: I'll do all I can to help. How has the goat's appetite been? Any changes in his stool?
Customer: Takes bottle good and stool looks normal only dark
JA: Could he have eaten something unusual?
Customer: No he had just been born when we found him, mom didn't finish cleaning him
JA: What's the goat's name?
Customer: No name yet
JA: Is there anything else the Vet should know?
Customer: He has long legs, he is a pygmy goat